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“Remember, the most crucial part of your story is when the roots grow, not the flowers.” —@poetryrise
It took three years to finally find the home where my roses would thrive.
The rose plants arrived in top-notch condition back in 2022 and fully capable of growing well so long as the gardener provide the ingredients they needed to fulfill their potential: the right soil, the proper care and best place for enough sun and water.
During the first two growing seasons, one rose bloom, maybe two, shared themselves on my Apricot Candy heirloom rose. This year, having been transplanted into its new home on the south-facing side of the house (previously on the east side and receiving very little sunshine), it brought forth three roses within hours of each other and is already giving me more during its first blooming. Finally, and thankfully, it found its happy home to thrive.
The rose’s roots simply needed the right nourishment which came both from the soil in which it was planted, and the amount of sun and water it received. Once the equation had been corrected, the roots were able to establish themselves well, and then the roses came forth with ease.
In our own life, it can be a defensible mistake to give our time and attention to how our life looks on the outside in order to be accepted, approved and even applauded (home, lifestyle, relationships, clothing, car, vacations, etc.). In so doing, we unconsciously reveal that we are unaware of the genesis of how a life of contentment, fulfillment and ease of being actually materializes. While unfortunately, we have misunderstood the equation for how to reach the concepts we seek, we can absolutely be forgiven for this misunderstanding because it is what is presented as truth by much of culture as to what is applauded and praised, and thus supported and encouraged. And since we are by nature social creatures, it makes sense; however, it cannot nourish the fulfillment we seek if haven’t honored what our roots, ourself needs.
And so, we must begin by giving our full attention to caring well for our roots and then the exterior will take care of itself well more beautifully than we may ever have imagined.
There can be many presumed parallels of what ‘roots’ may mean in our daily life, but ultimately, healthy roots are what you uniquely need to thrive. What we each need will be different a different recipe, so to speak, from anyone else, whether you are related to them or not, whether you come from the same culture or country or not, whether you are the same gender or not, whether you are [fill in the blank to include any characteristic that you may feel you have to align with because something is similar to someone else].
“Don’t forget who you are and where you came from. But don’t let it hold you back either.” —Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey: A New Era, film
How do you know when your roots are growing and healthily so?
You will embody a quiet confidence. In the post below, 10 everyday life choices and ways of being are shared that demonstrate what it feels and looks like to embody this gift that we cannot think our way to, as Andy Puddicombe teaches, but rather comes from knowing the mind, knowing one’s self. (In TSLL’s Contentment Masterclass, how to familiarize or refamiliarize yourself with your true self is taught.)
The beautiful or perhaps we should describe it as the mysterious part of caring for our roots properly is that nobody knows except for each of us what we need. Of course, we have the choice to share with the world what we are doing for self-growth, better health, improved soft skills, etc., but we don’t have to. The intention when we choose to give our roots what they need is to heal ourself so that we can then discover peace within. That is how we begin to cultivate a life of contentment, and each one of us has something different that we need to heal, that we need to bring awareness to, if we are going to reach our full potential and finally reside in a place of peaceful travel through our days along our entire life journey. Because yes, it is possible to be at peace each and everyday of our life when we reside in contentment.
By focusing on what your roots need to thrive, you are putting your trust in the universe to reveal to you what you can uniquely give that the world so desperately needs. It may result in your outer world looking as you had envisioned during your days of unconsciously focusing on the exterior rather than the roots, but it may not. However, and here is the awesome news, whichever way it ends up appearing, what you will feel is peace. A feeling that you have found a purpose and are engaged in a passion, one that energizes you and with each day you awake and truly become excited and eager to begin the day. Now, I don’t know about you, but that sounds like an amazingly enjoyable way to live a life.
Have a wonderful start to the new week and thank you for stopping by ☺️.
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Shannon, I love your gardening/life analogies! I can make my own connections with this in regard to gardening, then to my life…I love geraniums but I have a very shady yard. I have potted beautiful, blooming geraniums for years with mixed success. I now know that I need to place those pots in an area that gets the most sun (a requirement for blooms). This year I did that with the one geranium plant that I was willing to invest in one more time, and after deadheading all of the blooms that came with the plant, waited in anticipation to see if the placement would be what the geranium required. Joy! There are 3 new buds coming out, and one is already opening to those glorious red flowers. I appreciate these so much, as I can see that when you give a plant (or person) what they need, it can bloom!
On the flip side, another garden analogy…for years I have planted impatiens in my garden, knowing that these are shade loving plants. Yes, they are, but they also require a lot of watering in order to look their best. Many a day I have looked out and seen bent over impatiens that needed yet another visit with my watering can to really show their beauty. This year I did some reflection and realized that I am not willing to be hovering over any plant at that level to see the gifts it can give me. So I decided to specifically not purchase any impatiens, and leaned into begonias, beautiful flowers that don’t push me to my limits of daily tending. Those begonias are thriving and I am happy. Life lesson, don’t put myself in a position that I have to overly tend to an aspect of myself (that is causing me stress) in order to be my best self. There are things that I have chosen to pursue in the past that I thought were a good choice, but needed unnatural tending in order to keep them up. Now I will go for a more natural fit and blossom in what will surely be a more lovely way.
Thanks for helping me see this!
Victoria,
So tickled this post spoke to you and wahoo for success with the geraniums! The determination to figure it out was well worth it! And yet again, as you have shown regarding your begonias, the garden continues to teach us. 🙂 Every plant has a best caretaker, and we are being loving to the plant to let it be cared by someone who will do so well. A similar parallel to relationships and know when it is a good match and when it isn’t. It isn’t a reflection on the people involved being less than, but rather not a right fit for each other. Setting each other free is the most loving thing to do in such a case.
On a directly begonia note, oh my goodness I adore begonias. I have been putting them in my porch pots for years and as you have shared, they are easy to take care of so long as they are in the shade, deadheaded (which is infrequent) and watered occasionally. So tickled for you and their success in your garden!
Have a wonderful start to the week and thank you for stopping by. 🙂
I love hearing about your gardens! Also, I love the parallel to relationships (nothing bad, just not the right fit for each other). I’m learning this, and I feel like gardening is subtly teaching me a lot of life lessons.
I’ve had to acquire patience this summer, as I acquired a meniscus tear and tibia fracture after my first 5K in years…not allowing for me to “get in there” with my garden. Thank goodness for pre-planted pots!
On a different note, I am considering your cooking course, but I am vegetarian leaning toward vegan for health reasons. I just wonder if the content could work for me?
Thanks again!
Victoria,
Great question! But first, I am sorry to hear about your injury, but it sounds like you are caring for yourself well to allow it to heal. Injuries always have a way of deepening our appreciation, don’t they? 😌 Hang in there. I know it cannot be fun, but soon you will be up and jogging and walking again, but enjoy this slower pace until you are ready. 🙂
The course, while it will include a lesson for seafood and protein, teaches skills for all types of cooking and produce, especially the fresh veg and fruits – how to season, how to properly cook them, and different, simple ways to cook them for everyday life. Oh, and there will be a dessert section and a pastry section as well. 🙂 The primary focus for the course is to teach you the skills so that you can cook without a recipe for everyday cooking simply by cooking with the seasonal produce, paired with the skills and tools you need, and nothing extra. If that interests you, then this is the course for you! 🙂
Of course, I will enroll!
Oh Victoria, I am so sorry about your injury! The meniscus tear can be quite painful and a fracture to go with it, I am so sorry. But I am thrilled your Begonias are bringing joy to your garden. Stay well, enjoy your July, perhaps not in the way you planned, but I suspect you will be back up on your feet again planning for next year’s garden!
Lucy, thank you so much for your kind words. I am also experimenting with a single Cherokee (purple) tomato plant that I can move to different sunny spots on my patio. So far, it is quite tall, but has only 3 small green tomatoes growing. Hoping for hot and sunny days – fresh tomatoes are the best. Again, your kindness and healing wishes are appreciated.
Ah I love this, it reminds me of that great Gertrude Jekyll quote,”A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.”
Establishing a healthy root system is the only way to create a beautiful, thriving plant. You can put gold spray-paint and glitter on a sickly plant to make it somehow “attractive”, but it is still a sickly plant and it’s rot will soon show through the veneer. When one’s roots are thriving and healthy, it is easier to see, discover, and nurture the key elements necessary for one’s own beauty to grow and shine forth, no glitter necessary. Splendid Contentment post, Shannon, thank you. ( And I too love the gardening analogies, now that I am diving further into my own discoveries there!)
Thank you Dear Rona for the great Gertrude Jekyll reminder, “A garden is a grand teacher…” So true. Understanding the time dedicated to any garden, floral, vegetable, or personal, it is an investment and rewards are pending only when that root system is properly balanced. Have a lovely July, this month goes so fast, I have intentionally marked each day of my journal with a reminder of what to savor, what to look for in the garden and in my day to day busy, as well as how to be a better gardener. There is always something to learn!
Ah, Shannon, nothing like a gardening analogy post to get our wheels turning! The garden growth/experience is a fantastic way to understand the human condition. I have been gardening for decades, from childhood. I often marvel at how I need to have the same lessons repeated now and then to have success. Of course, (you had to know I would bring this up) Gertie Gherkin is an outlier, for sure. Standing at over 6 feet tall and loaded with blossoms and babies, she collapsed overnight from the sheer weight of her beauty. Now, re-staked and tied to a garden hose housing, she is looking a bit tousled but good news as well, baby #1 was born on the 4th of July! A charmer she is, I will need to try to capture her for Instagram. I will be bringing my mother’s water bath canner and all the equipment up soon for pickle time. This was a spindly weak stemmed plant when we brought her home, she held little hope and yet, kindness, proper root care and the right amount of sunshine has proven that good things do come around, yes they do!
Dear Lucy, many thanks for keeping us abreast of Gertie the Gherkin’s progress, I have been on tenterhooks! And there you go, she is a proper poster child for what assiduous kindness and attention to the roots can produce. You know, I don’t think I have your Instagram address, would you care to share it, as I am now thoroughly invested in Gertie’s growth and future? (I am 1beautiful.day, if that is needed. ) I thoroughly agree, good things DO succeed when given enough sunshine, kindness, and hope. I will taking a cue from you, dear Lucy, too, as often I look up with a pang and realize so many precious days have passed without acknowledgement. A question: when is your best time to make note in your journal, or is it something that is on-going throughout your day? I would very much appreciate any thoughts you might wish to share. And now–allons-y au jardin!
lucy.augustine.1088 here. Oh, the adventures in this year’s gardens. Laden with babies, Gertie is presenting me with some new challenges. We have always staked or trained our vege’s on tripods, but this girl is testing our theory. There is nothing on the tag that indicates she is an indeterminate species, but that she is. If and when the downpours cease, I will attempt to capture some photo’s. You may be terribly bored visiting my Instagram because it is primarily quilting, food, and dogs. I am laser focused with thread and fabric.
As for journaling, I usually list my plans for the next day, never more than 3 specific items, and check them off as I complete them. From there, I note 3 elements of my life and experience that I savor. Sometimes it is as simple as a stray mushroom cropping up in my succulent dish gardens. In retirement my life is vastly different, it has taken some time to work into this routine and I often change it up depending on life circumstances. I have journaled off and on, mostly on, for many years. I am often influenced by the day books I read. One of my current favorites is ‘The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’ by Edith Holden. It is a facsimile edition of Edith Holden’s original 1906 diary. She journaled beautiful watercolor paintings and observations of the seasons changing. What a heartwarming compilation that goes perfectly with my afternoon tea. Having a bang-up hair day here, I look like Lola!
My Insta is very boring, at least yours will soon be filled with Gertie Gherkin’s Glorious Gallivants. Thank you for describing how you approach your journaling, mine, alas, has been mostly ‘off’ for many year. ‘The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady’ has long been on my to-be-acquired list, as I found it so lovely and such an inspiration when I borrowed from the library. I just recently bought a small notebook called a ‘Standard Ideabook’, just so I could begin making little garden-ish notes and sketches. It has one entry dated 8 June 2025. I am a rotten diarist it seems. Ah yes the bouffant hair in summertime, something we are all very used to here in the Deep South. (At the moment it is 94F and with the humidity, it feels like 111F.) Quickest fix, is to take a wee bit of hand lotion, rub between your palms, and then lightly stroke your hair, crunching the ends in your fists. Question–do your ribbons match, or would that be too-too? Take care of yourself and Lola in this heat, iced tea and cold watermelon is always good. xx
Goodness, the typos–iced tea and cold watermelon ARE always good. … mostly off for many yearS. 🙄